Proctor, Heidi Elaine;
(2025)
The noun phrase in British Sign Language.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
Preview |
Text
The Noun Phrase in BSL - Heidi Proctor - PhD thesis.pdf - Accepted Version Download (16MB) | Preview |
Abstract
The noun phrase (NP) has not been extensively researched in signed languages. This thesis presents the first systematic investigation of NP structure in British Sign Language (BSL), drawing on data from the BSL Corpus and an innovative large-scale online judgement task involving 92 deaf signers. It examines the linear order of NP elements–nouns, adjectives, numerals, and demonstratives–and evaluates their distribution in relation to typological predictions, including Greenberg’s Universal 20, the subset of orders generated by Cinque’s (2005) derivational model, and the principle of homomorphism, whereby linear order transparently reflects semantic scope. The corpus analysis shows that most BSL NPs are short, with 76% consisting of a single element, while longer NPs exhibit a wide range of element orders. However, both the corpus and the judgement task data show a strong overall preference for sequences that resemble English word order. In the corpus data, adjectives are predominantly prenominal, but judgement task participants preferred postnominal adjectives in short NPs, suggesting the influence of language ideologies that emphasise structural divergence from English. Homomorphic NP orders were judged significantly more typical, especially when modifiers were widely spaced in scope. The results also support the predictions of Universal 20 and Cinque’s model. Statistical modelling found no significant effect of signers’ age of BSL acquisition, teaching experience, or comfort with English on NP order preferences. The findings suggest a nuanced picture, with BSL NP structure being shaped by both cognitive pressures and contact with English, while also being mediated by community ideologies. This research contributes to our understanding of NP typology in signed languages and offers practical implications for BSL pedagogy. The study underscores the importance of aligning teaching materials with authentic usage to support accurate and inclusive BSL education.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | The noun phrase in British Sign Language |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10218817 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
